a slab of reinforced concrete providing a footing on yielding soil, usually for a whole building, so that the weight of the soil that would be displaced by the settlement of the building exceeds the weight of the building itself; mat.
–verb (used with object)
5.
to transport on a raft.
6.
to form (logs or the like) into a raft.
7.
to travel or cross by raft.
8.
(of an ice floe) to transport (embedded organic or rock debris) from the shore out to sea.
–verb (used without object)
9.
to use a raft; go or travel on a raft.
10.
(of an ice floe) to overlap another ice floe.
[Origin: 1250–1300; ME rafte, perh. < ON raptrrafter1]
raft 2Audio Help (rāft) Pronunciation Key
n.
Informal
A great number, amount, or collection: "As the prairie dog goes, conservation biologists say, so may go a raft of other creatures"(William K. Stevens).
[Alteration of dialectal raff, rubbish; see raffish.]
"floating platform," 1497, originally "rafter" (c.1420), from O.N. raptr "log" (O.N. -pt- pronounced as -ft-), related to M.L.G. rafter, rachter "rafter."
a flat float (usually made of logs or planks) that can be used for transport or as a platform for swimmers
2.
(often followed by 'of') a large number or amount or extent; "a batch of letters"; "a deal of trouble"; "a lot of money"; "he made a mint on the stock market"; "see the rest of the winners in our huge passel of photos"; "it must have cost plenty"; "a slew of journalists"; "a wad of money" [syn: batch]
verb
1.
transport on a raft; "raft wood down a river"
2.
travel by raft in water; "Raft the Colorado River"
Raft\, n. [Originally, a rafter, spar, and fr. Icel. raptr a rafter; akin to Dan. raft, Prov. G. raff a rafter, spar; cf. OHG. r[=a]fo, r[=a]vo, a beam, rafter, Icel. r[=a]f roof. Cf. Rafter, n.]1. A collection of logs, boards, pieces of timber, or the like, fastened, together, either for their own collective conveyance on the water, or to serve as a support in conveying other things; a float. 2. A collection of logs, fallen trees, etc. (such as is formed in some Western rivers of the United States), which obstructs navigation. [U.S.] 3. [Perhaps akin to raff a heap.] A large collection of people or things taken indiscriminately. [Slang, U. S.] "A whole raft of folks." --W. D. Howells. Raft bridge. (a) A bridge whose points of support are rafts. (b) A bridge that consists of floating timbers fastened together. Raft duck. [The name alludes to its swimming in dense flocks.] (Zo["o]l.) (a) The bluebill, or greater scaup duck; -- called also flock duck. See Scaup. (b) The redhead. Raft port (Naut.), a large, square port in a vessel's side for loading or unloading timber or other bulky articles; a timber or lumber port.
Raft\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Rafted; p. pr. & vb. n. Rafting.] To transport on a raft, or in the form of a raft; to make into a raft; as, to raft timber.
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Audio Help [raft, rahft] Pronunciation Key 
